Why your Training ROI isn’t where it should be and how to change that

A few years ago, a group of department heads from one property were sent to a three-day leadership workshop. When they returned, I asked how it went. The feedback was interesting.

One said, “It could’ve been done in one day.”

Another said, “It was fine, but nothing new.”

And one leader simply said, “The coffee was good.”

Three full days away from operations.

Three leaders off duty. Thousands of dollars from the L&D budget spent.

And as an outcome – a few polite comments and zero actionable value.

Until the GM got involved. During the next department head meeting, he asked those leaders to come back with three key action points from that workshop they would actually implement in their sections. Only then the exercise turn into something meaningful.

Now think about it, that’s the HOD level.

So imagine what happens when line staff are told to complete an e-learning module or attend a classroom session “because the manager said so.” Without a purpose, follow-up, or accountability any training, workshop or masterclass turns into time & money wasting activity.

And that’s exactly why training ROI in hospitality often isn’t where it should be.

Here are 4 aspects to look at if you want to change that.

1. Long, impractical onboarding

New hire onboarding programs are often focused on theoretical overview of brand standards, policies, and generic presentations. But it lacks easy and actionable information that helps frontline staff actually serve guests from day one.

By the time new employees finish their onboarding, they’re overwhelmed with information yet underprepared for real situations, like handling a delayed order, an early check-in, or an irritated guest.

How to improve:

Make your onboarding practical and role-specific. Focus on the “day one” essentials — what each employee needs to perform confidently, not everything they’ll ever need to know. Knowing the special offers, or how to get to the meeting rooms will be much more crucial for the guest experience than a company history.

2. Ineffective delivery methods

One-off sessions or workshops often reach only 30–40% of operational staff due to shift constraints. And when training does happen, it leans heavily on icebreakers and “fun” activities, instead of hands-on skill practice.

Unfortunately it creates more misalignment rather than drives behavior change. Without  scalable training, reinforcement or follow-up, these 30-40% of staff who gets to the session retain less than 10% of information.

How to improve:

Review the approach and adopt modern and more flexible methods, combining e-learning with short, focused live sessions integrated into daily operations. Ensure leaders utilize team briefings, service observations, and on-the-spot coaching to reinforce learning. Training shouldn’t always feel like an event with snacks and coffee organized by HR, it should be a part of the departmental workflow.

3. Managers Aren’t Accountable for Reinforcement

Not because they don’t want to, but rather because they don’t have the right resources on hand. Endless checklists of checklists that are hard to follow, lack of ready-to-use materials for on-the-floor learning make quality & training inconsistent. But behaviour shifts only when leaders model, observe, and reinforce new standards.

Action Step:

Provide your leaders with simple tools they can easily integrate into their weekly routines. Don’t let them waste time on creating it and get lost in admin. Think of mini-sessions facilitator guides, digital and accessible templates or checklists they can use on the floor, not in the office.

4. There’s No Measurement System

If you measure training by attendance, you’ll only get attendance. Often training doesn’t get linked to key service or revenue metrics, or the impact is not being tracked. That makes it an expensive formality that is constantly perceived as an expense, but not a financial driver.

But once your training is aligned with clear objectives, measurement becomes more than just attendance sheets and satisfaction surveys — it becomes proof of business impact.

For example:

• A problem-handling session should lead to a trackable improvement in NPS or guest satisfaction scores. Handling guest issues effectively is one of the strongest proven drivers of loyalty and repeat business.

• A specific complaint training (for example, long check-in times or wrong orders) can be tracked through a reduction in quantitative complaints (refer to your glitch reports or problem trackers) or negative mentions in guest feedback.

• A revenue-related sessions, like upselling, can be measured by average check increase, higher capture ratios, or additional revenue per available seat/room.

• A communication training can be evaluated by fewer glitches and mistakes due to miscommunication, and an increase in guest comments about friendliness or welcome experience.

The key objective is that every training topic should have a direct link to an operational KPI.

Action Step:

Ensure department leaders use before-and-after comparisons for relevant metrics. Small improvements are measurable when connected to real data. 

The Bottom Line

Training ROI often fails because of how training is designed, delivered, and reinforced.

When training becomes part of operations, not separate from it, results are consistent and measurable. And the payoff isn’t just better guest satisfaction scores. It’s an engaged team who has the tools to perform with confidence.

If you’re serious about improving training ROI, the Excellence Toolkit as part of Devout Hospitality Members Hub gives you everything you need to make it happen — from ready-to-use training guides and templates to measurable follow-up tools.

Stop running sessions that “feel” productive and start delivering results you can prove.
Join the Hub today and turn your training into a true performance driver.